00:15

Ai Weiwei

Guardian

€650

Edition of 1601

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Self-satire meets storied symbolism in a sparkling silkscreen print by Ai Weiwei.

In Chinese tradition, a Door God is placed at an entrance or threshold to protect those inside from harm. By casting himself as this totemic figure, Weiwei acknowledges his standing in global consciousness, draws parallels with his life as an artist, and attempts to resolve the two.

Familiar motifs nod to the negative influences that Weiwei, in divine form, might ward off – from censorship and propaganda to corruption and surveillance. Red, meanwhile, promises good fortune for the year ahead.

To create the edition, printers at Make-Ready developed a new technique designed to echo a ceramic tile or cast concrete in silkscreen form. Bespoke gold ink ‘overloaded’ with metallic pigment and glitter is applied to the paper as a solid layer, then veiled by a layer of vibrant red to reveal an intricate illustration in negative space.

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Behind the scenes

01:14
00:51

Ai Weiwei

24 collaborations

Ai Weiwei is unafraid to speak truth to power. He’s one of the most famous living artists today – a testament to the breadth and vision of his practice. Effortlessly, he moves between different media, from sculpture and architecture to performance and documentary film. His work is often monumental in scale and is driven by a hunger for truth and justice. In 2008, for example, Ai spent many months collecting the names of over 5000 children who lost their lives in the Sichuan earthquake. This unflinching dedication to human rights saw him detained by the Chinese government for 81 days in 2011, accused of ‘subverting the state.’

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Reviews from Avant collectors

beautiful print. top notch
Review of Digital Chemicals
First class service, from start to finsh. Thank you!
Review of Sacred Connectedness
I was lucky enough to have been invited to see the creation of this piece of work back in June and met the fantastic Miwa so seeing this print now is just fantastic. The colours are every bit as vibrant as the original.
Review of Sacred Connectedness
Such a great and perfect experience working with Avant Arte. I am forever grateful for your kindness and communication throughout this entire process. Art was delivered perfectly, beautifully, and on-time, as promised. Love your company!
Review of Actual Size
It looks great and is one of our favorite pieces to add to our collection. We think the printing looks fantastic!
Review of Scaffold
excellent craftsmanship and delivery
Review of Trespassers Verdigris
The piece arrived very safely packaged. We haven't yet had it framed, but I'm very excited to see it hanging in our space.
Review of Guardian
the Service was perfect and i love my print
Review of Sleepy

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